This document outlines the requirements that the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) has set for development of Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. These requirements are based on feedback from
the use of WCAG 1.0 and will be used to determine if the WCAG WG has met its
goals as WCAG 2.0 advances through the W3C
Recommendation Track Process.

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its
publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current
W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be
found in the W3C technical reports index
at http://www.w3.org/TR/.

Publication as a Working Group Note does not imply endorsement by the W3C
Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or
obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this
document as other than work in progress.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG
1.0) explains how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities.
It was written for Web content developers (page authors and site designers)
and developers of authoring tools. The primary goal of WCAG 1.0 is to promote
accessibility. Following the guidelines in WCAG 1.0 will also make Web
content more available to all users.

Since the release of WCAG 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation in May 1999, the
WCAG WG has received feedback about the usability, understandability, and
applicability of the suite of documents. This feedback is driving the
development of WCAG 2.0 and is captured as the Requirements for WCAG 2.0
(this document).

The primary goal of WCAG 2.0 is the same as 1.0: to promote accessibility
of Web content. Additional goals discussed in this document are:

WCAG 2.0 must clearly specify the minimal requirements necessary for
conformance. Each requirement must be verifiable. The WCAG WG will provide
resources to help readers evaluate conformance, such as success criteria,
sufficient techniques, and sample content.

The deliverables must:

Specify what is required for conformance.

Clearly specify how content that is tailored according to client or
user capabilities may conform (dynamic content or database driven).

Resolve the relationship between user agent support and author supplied
content (cross-platform and backwards compatibility issues).

The WCAG WG will attempt to make the structure of the deliverables as
simple and easy to use as possible. In designing the usability of the
deliverables, the WCAG WG will consult the results of the WAI Site Redesign
Task Force usability testing and discuss the design with representatives of
the EOWG.

WCAG 2.0 deliverables must address the needs of a variety of readers,
including people who wish to:

Create accessible, innovative Web sites.

Create policies related to Web accessibility.

Assess whether a Web site conforms to the guidelines.

Develop authoring tools, user agents, or evaluation and repair
tools.

Teach principles of accessible Web content.

The number, length, and organization of the deliverables should address
the different needs of these readers. The language used in the deliverables
should be as easy as possible to translate into other languages. As part of
ensuring that the diverse needs of readers are met, the WG will work with the
Education and Outreach Working Group.

A number of other documents and software, such as specifications,
evaluation tools, authoring tools, and government and organizational
policies, reference WCAG 1.0. Therefore, WCAG 2.0 should introduce as few
changes as possible to the definition of accessible Web content. At the same
time, WCAG 2.0 should be designed to work with emerging and future
technologies as much as possible.